Coupling-centering device for railway-cars.



I. S. DOWNING.

coUPLING GBNTERING DEVICE PoR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1912.

1,1 12,897. Patented 0013.6, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0.. FHOYO-LITHU.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

I. S. DOWNING.

GOUPLING CENTBRING DEVICE PoR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26. 1912.

1,1 12,8971. Patented oen. 6, 1914.`

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I W I M www? l BY p 7 I d ATTORNE);

THE MORRIS PETERS C0A PHDTO-LITHD., WASHING ION. D. CA

tering Devices for Railway-Cars, of which i IRA snowiriive, or CLEVELAND, `omo.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

COUPLINGCENTERING DEVICE `FOR BAIIlWAYCAR Patented oct. e, 1914.

To ZZ whom t may concern j Be it known that I, IRJSDowNiNma citizen of `the United `States, residing at Cleveland, in the countyyof Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,` and useful Improvementsfin Coupler-Centhe following is a specification.

,y provide for `discomiecting-that is, tem-I This invention has reference particularly to` an `improved form of mechanismfor centering the coupling y y such mechanism `being: so `constructed asgto porarily or manually throwing out of gear#-` `tive position after it the coupler;

the centering means in `order to permit a shift of the coupler `lat `rally to "alposition which will facilitate coupling on a curve. Afurtlier `object `of the invention "is to provide means whereby thel centering mechanism will `automaticallyreturn to operaliasbeen thrown out temporarily by manual action.` 4

Still anotherfobject ofthis invention is the provision of animprovedfapparatus of the character specilied, inl which the `device proper which centers thecoupler is supfL in preference..

ported from the coupler shaft to the arrangement usually employed in which all of the mechanismof this character is attached to the` carry iron,.`andiin many instances is in the way of the vices arrangedto manipulatethe lock of especially `where such devices are located underneath ,the coupler shank.

y action or, movement ofjthefparts when the centeringdevice is in operative position, and

the coup er is forcedfto one side of the center line;` Fig.` 5 isa view partly` in section,` of` y y y casing which contains the" i centering spring,` and Figi ,61s another View' the housing or Apnlication filed `September 26, 1912.` Serial- No. 722,451; l

have invented certainlnew "of a railway car,"

operating de-` l shown in Figures `seated inthe recess between the abutting `members 19 and20,`it\is evident thatif the offtheyapparatus shown in Figq` and in-` dicatesalso `the means whichfl preferably employ for,` supporting fthe y housing ,from the coupler shank.

Referring y Figures `1, 3,and4, `it will be seen thatl have therein illustrated a coupler havingla head r(attached toit-he shank 8`ysecuiedto ars 9 arrangedtofswing `from thepivot 10.` Underneath the shank 8 is arranged af housing or casing llfsecured by means ofia strapf12 in the manner` shown in Figure "6, v i

and adapted to contain "acentering spring ljfwhich when `under Qcompression "can be put into the so disposed when inlplace as to bearagainst the wall 14 at one end,,andagainstfthe washer` or block 1,5` at the othern end` which has a rounded nose or in a` socket piece 417' i thatljf direction of` the "coupler head` asr clearlyf shown "in, Figure 4, andis,` adapted` to be held in a recess or socket "formed inthe two projecting lugs` 19 and 20" that are secured to the `carry `iron` `21. 1"; y i i The carry iron asindicated in"` Figure 2 is made suliiciently wide to4 permit the coupler bar Sto' swing from` onejside tothe `other a sufficient the cars, whilethe arm or lever 18 being held proj ectionlG seated `1 y orms an upstanfd-A f ing part of the longitudinally extended"armi` g or lever 18 which reaches outward `in :the i a'rns PATENT OFFICE nowwmore.` particularly to housing from one side, and is y `distance to provide "for Vall necessary coupling` actions `or movements of between the lugs :19fand 20 will resistythe lateral movement of ltheycoupler bar `and coupler head through compression `of the` spring 13, due to the peculiar bell crank lever which has the bearings -at 22 and 23 `arranged to abut `against the round surfaces ofthe casing at 24.

Throughthe center of the spring andthe i i washer 15. and bracket projection 17 `of the arm 18, there isextended a` bolt 25 which relationor against displacement. i i

The operation of my device is as follows: The partsnormally being in the position 1 and 3, with thefleverlS.V

serves to hold the several parts in `proper coupler head is moved laterally either `side i. from the center lineas indicated in Figure 4,

the parts will assume the position shown in such Figure 4l, and the bell crank construction of the lever 18 by abutment of the surfaces at 22 and 211 will exert a compression upon the spring 13, such as willgtend to immediately return the coupler to central positio-n as soon as the lateral strain is removed.

If now the car be standing on cilitate this operation the coupler head is* thrown to one side of the center, thisactionv without the necessityl` heavy lateral resistancek lever 18, moving the coupler head la little y leverage upon ythe not liable to to one side as soon as the lever 18 is out of engagement with the lugs 19 and 20,' when the lever 18 will ride'along on the under face of' the said lugs or either of them, an'dfol- `low the` line of movement'of the couplerl? without material resistance, all the partsremaining, however, in proper position so that as soon l as the coupler head returns to central positionv the lever 18 will again become engaged with the projections or lugs 19 and 2O as before, and take up again its automatic action in centering the coupler device.

Itwill be observed that the amount of forceV necessary tov push down vthe lever` 18 in the manner just described is not great, because it swings about the point 26 indicated in Figure 3 as a center, and has a greater spring 13 than the end of the lever 18 has against the spring 13 as opposed to lateral or centering movement.

Various other types of springs may be employed between the shank and its lever, and other locking means Jfor the lever mightbe substituted for the one shown without departing from the invention. j j

It will further be observed that the operative parts of my kmechanism are located sufficiently far inward from the end of the coupler so las not to interfere with any mechanism that may be applied for actuating the coupler locking device yfrom the under side, and also to be out of the way of other devices that may be used on the end of the car, and the position of the apparatus is alsol such that yit can bek readily supported by the carrying strap or belt 12,V andl accessible forpuris compact, easy to apply, pose of repair, and in position where it is be-injured while in use. yHaving thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and a curve and` itbe desired to make a coupling connection? y with another car upon the curve, and to falowing; e

1. In combination in a car coupler, a coupler head, a shank therefor mounted for swinging movement, a carry member over which the shank moves, locking means carried centrally upon thelower side of the upon the *lower side of the shank, 'and spring means tending, to hold the lever in Ythe lever having releasable engagement with the said locking means.

fpler head, a shank therefor mounted for swinging movement," which the' shankl moves,

said member, e a lever pivotally mounted upon the `lower sidev of: the shank, and spring meanstendin'g tot, hold the lever in parallelism withthe shank and pressing the lever yieldingly against the under side `carry member, the saidlocking means comprising means projecting downward froml the carryfmember and adapted to prevent lateral movement of the end of the lever.

3. In combinati pler head, ya shank therefor mountedfor swinging movement, av carry member over which the shank moves, 'ried centrally upon the lower side of the said member, a lever jpivotally mounted upon the lower side of the shank, and .spring means tending to hold the lever in parallelism with the shank and pressing the ,lever carry member, the said locking means com# prising a pair of projections spacedapart to receive the lever between them and having inclined faces. l

4f. In combination 1n a car coupler, a cou*- pler head, va shank therefor mounted for lateral swinging movement, a carry iron over which the shank moves, beneath the carry iron, and a lever pivotally mounted upon lthe lower side of the shank, with vits free end in releasable engagement with the said locking means and freely movable with the shank when the engagement with the locking means is released, andv spring means between the lever and shank tending to hold the shank in its central position when the lever is in engagement with the 'locking means. f y

l 5. In combination 'in a car coupler, a couL e pier headV provided with a shank pivoted at its, rear end to permit lateral swinging movement of the head and shank, a.carry iron upon which thek shank is slidably supsupported at itsrear end. upon Kthe lower'side' of the shank and wirh its front end beneath the carry iron, locking means carried on the lower side of the carry iron and adapted to 'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the folsaid member, a lever pivotally mountedl parallelism with the shank, the free end ofv of the on in acarcoupler, a coulockingy means car-y locking meansl 2. In combination in a car coupler, a coua carry member over i locking means car! i ried centrally upon'the lower side/of the e lYieldingly against the under v'side 'of the ported adjacent the head', av leverpivotally A,

automatically engage the said free end of I signed my name inthe presence of the two the1 lever When the shank reaolges its celili-` subscribed Witnesses. y tra position and spring `means etweent e n y lever and shank tending-to hold the shank IRA S' DOWNING' in central position when the lever is en- Witnesses: gaged by the said locking means. R. `D. Moon,

In testimony whereof `I have hereunto DAVID L. (liULKINs.`

copies 0f this patent may be obtained for five cents each, `by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents.

` i Washington, 1);(2. i i i i 

